High-speed drawbench



Cet. 13, 1964 F. SPINDLER ETAL 3,152,686

HIGH-SPEED nRAwBENcH Filed March 10, 1961 l United States Patent O 3,152,686 HIGH-SPEED DRAWBENCH Fritz Spindler, Dusseldorf, and Helmuth Wienand, Neuss (Rhine), Germany, assignors to Mannesmann-Meer Aktiengesellschaft, Dusseldorf, Germany, a German company Filed Mar. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 94,808 Claims. (Cl. 20S- 3) This invention relates to drawbenches and, more particularly, to drawbenches for drawing tubes or like articles which may be operated in such a way as to give a high output.

Among the prior forms of drawbrenches is a form in which the carriage runs below a beam. The beam is supported by arms which arch around the carriage from the drawbench frame. Tube discharge skids slope downwardly to discharge the products drawn by the drawbench. However, the costs for construction and materials of this design are too high.

In another prior form of drawbench, the carriage is above the supporting beam and rides on wheels. In order to discharge the tubes, this arrangement requires swinging arms which have to be moved out of the way and returned either by hand or mechanically whenever the carriage passes. The disadvantage of this design is that the operation of these swinging arms prolongs the drawing process considerably.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the shortcomings of the prior drawbench designs and to create a drawbench which can be made at minimum cost of construction and materials and which will require only a minimum of operational time.

y According to this invention, the tube discharge skids are located outside the path of the carriage so that the need to move them to let the carriage pass is avoided.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as it is described in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a side elevation view of a portion of a drawbench embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a transverse section view taken along line 2 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse section view similar to FIG. 2, but of another form.

FIG. 4 is a transverse section View similar to FIGS. 2 and 3, but of a third form.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the drawbench has longitudinally extending frame members in the form of parallel I-beams 10, 12 which are supported along their lengths upon pedestals 14 of any suitable form which rest on the floor and have a at top surface on which the beams are secured. Y

Supported outside the webs of each of the beams 1t), 12 are flat horizontal tracks 16, 18 on which roll carriage wheels 2t), 22. These wheels are mounted on horizontal axles 21, 23 supported respectively in the vertical portions of bent arms 26, 23 extending laterally and downwardly from the carriage chassis 30 which otherwise may be conventionally formed. There is a pair of wheels on each side of the carriage. The carriage chassis is thus supported over and above the beam 10, 12. Side guide plates 25, 27 mounted on axles 21, 23 adjacent the arms 26, 2S slidably engage the side edges of the tracks 16, 18 as the carriage moves along the tracks.

Tubes or other drawn articles are held in jaws 32 of the carriage as the carriage is vdrawn by conventional means along the tracks 16, 18. At the end of the draw when the jaws are opened and the drawn article is released, the article drops down and is deflected laterally with respect to the beam 1d. For that purpose, skid members 34 are secured on top and extend across the beams. Their top surfaces are inclined toward one side of the drawbench and their bottom surfaces rest on the tops of the beams. The skid members may be of any desired width, but preferably are relatively narrow and are spaced closely enough along the beams lil, 12 to provide the needed support and guidance to properly deect the articles as they drop when the drawing is finished.

In FIG. 3 a pair of spaced parallel track 46, 4S are secured upon the top of pedestal supports 40 spaced along the length of the drawbench. The tops of the pedestals are inclined from one side of the drawbench toward the other and have secured thereon sloping skid surfaces 44 also inclined from one side of the bench toward the other so that drawn articles, when released from jaws 55 on termination of the draw, will fall upon and be deflected laterally by the skid surfaces with respect to the length of the drawbench.

Also in FIG. 3, the carriage chassis 50 has two laterally extending axles 51, 53 on each side of which are mounted wheels S2, 54 which ride on the tracks 45, 48.

Since track 48 is at a higher level than track 46, provision is made to keep the carriage on the tracks as it rolls along. For that purpose, one or more arms 56 extend rigidly from the upper side of the chassis over the higher track 48. An axle 57 extendsV downwardly from the end thereof and has a wheel 58 mounted thereon in position to roll along the outer upwardly extending surface of an inverted T-beam 59 or guide-track member whose head is supported upon and secured to the pedestals adjacent the higher wheel track 48.

Against the opposite or inner side of the upwardly extending surface of the T-bearn 59, the end of the axle 53 engages.

In a third form, illustrated in FIG. 4, the pedestals 60 have supported on their horizontal top surfaces one (62) of two parallel horizontal track plates 62 and 64 which are separated by a central web 66 which may be hollow as shown, or it may be solid in case it should be preferred for the plates to be the upper and lower plates of an I-beam.

Between the upper and lower plates, on each side of the central web roll a pair of carriage-guide wheels 7?, 72 whose peripheries preferably are convexly curved, as in the previously described forms. The carriage wheels are supported on horizontal axles mounted in vertical arms or skirts '76, 78 located on opposite sides of the plates 62, 64 and depending from a horizontal trans.- versely extending carriage-supporting plate 77 overlying the upper beam plate 64.

The horizontal carriage-supporting plate 77 is extended laterally beyond one side of the track plate 64. From and beneath this extension 79, the carriage chassis Sti is fixedly supported.

In order to deflect the drawn article when the draw is finished and the article is released from the jaws 82, the pedestal supports are formed with one side or leg 61 inclined downwardly and outwardly under the carriage chassis and the overhanging extension 79.- Thus, as the drawn article drops, it strikes the inclined surface of the leg and is deflected laterally away from the drawbench.

Since the feeding or drawing means, mandrel, dies, gripping jaws per se form no part of the invention, but may be conventional, they need not be further shown or described.

Other modications within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Hence, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. A drawbench adapted to be supported upon a foundation, said drawbench comprising a carriage adapted to be drawn along a fixed path and having jaws to grip articles while being drawn and also having wheels, longitudinally extending members providing tracks on which said wheels are adapted to roll, supporting means extending up from the foundation to each of said longitudinally extending members and directly supporting each of them from below along their length so that no portion of said supporting means overlies said longitudinal members, immovable inclined means xedly associated with and above said supporting means and presenting a surface located to laterally deflect drawn articles as they are released and drop On termination of the draw.

2. A drawbench as claimed in claim 1 in which there are two spaced parallel tracks and said inclined means is positioned beneath the carriage and in the area between said tracks.

-3. A drawbench as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tracks are at different levels and the carriage is tilted, a member extending longitudinally providing a guide surface, wheel means supported from the carriage outside said guide surface and guiding said carriage laterally to prevent sidewise sliding of the carriage parallel to said inclined surface.

4. A drawbench as claimed in claim 1 in which the path of the carriage is above and between said longitudinal members, and said inclined surface is below said path and between said longitudinal members, and a lateral guide for said carriage n said supporting means, at least one outboard guide roller supported from said carriage and engaging said guide laterally.

5. A drawbench as claimed in claim 1 in which the path of the carriage is above and between said longitudinal members, and said inclined surface is below said path and between said longitudinal members, and a lateral guide for said carriage on said supporting means, at least one out-board guide roller supported from said carriage yand engaging said guide on one side, and means at the end of the axis of one of said carriage wheels engaging said lateral guide on the other side as said carriage moves along.

6. A drawbench adapted to be supported upon a foundation, said drawbench comprising a beam extending longitudinally, supporting means extending up from the foundation to said beam supporting said beam and each track from below directly from the foundation so that no portion of said supporting means overlies said beam, a carriage having jaws to grip articles while being drawn and yalso having wheels, tracks on said beam on which said wheels are adapted to roll, the path of said carriage being above said tracks, an immovable inclined surface above said supporting means associated with said supporting means positioned to deflect the drawn article laterally when released on termination of the draw and also positioned outside the path of said carriage whereby to avoid necessity of moving said inclined surfaces as said carriage moves along its path.

7. A drawbench comprising a carriage adapted to be drawn along a fixed path and having jaws to grip articles while being drawn and also having wheels, two spaced parallel longitudinally extending members providing tracks on which said wheels are adapted to roll, means beneath said longitudinally extending members supporting them from below along their length, immovable inclined means tixedly associated with said supporting means and presenting a surface located to laterally detiect drawn articles as they are released and drop on termination of the draw; said inclined means being supported above, by and between said longitudinally extending members.

8. A drawbench comprising a carriage adapted to be drawn along a fixed path and having jaws to grip articles while being drawn and also having wheels, longitudinally extending members providing tracks on which said wheels are adapted to roll, means beneath said longitudinally extending members supporting them from below along their length, immovable inclined means ixedly associated with said supporting means and presenting a surface located to laterally deflect drawn articles as they are released and drop on termination of the draw, said carriage having lateral and downward extensions in which said wheels are mounted straddling said inclined surface, and said inclined surface being supported above, by and between said longitudinal members.

9. A drawbench comprising a carriage adapted to be drawn along a fixed path and having jaws to grip articles while being drawn and also having wheels, longitudinally extending members forming a beam structure and providing tracks on which said wheels are adapted to roll, means beneath said longitudinally extending members supporting them from below along their length, immovable inclined means lixedly associated with said supporting means and presenting a surface located to laterally deflect drawn articles as they are released and drop on termination of the draw, and mountings for said carriage wheels extending downwardly on opposite sides of said beam structure, said wheels being positioned between their mountings and said beam structure, the path of said carriage being above said beam structure, said inclined surfaces being below the carriage path and supported above, by and between said longitudinal members.

10. A drawbench adapted to be supported upon a foun dation, said drawbench comprising a carriage adapted to be drawn along a fixed path and having jaws to grip articles while being drawn and also having wheels, longitudinally extending members forming a beam structure and providing tracks on which said wheels are adapted to roll, means ,beneath said longitudinally extending members and supporting them directly from the foundation from below along their length, mountings for said carriage wheels extending downwardly on opposite sides of said beam structure and supporting the carriage above said wheels, said wheels being positioned between their mountings and said beam structure, and immovable inclined means tixedly associated with and above said supporting means and presenting a surface located to laterally deflect drawn articles as they are released and drop on termination of the draw.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,870,419 Palmer Aug. 9, 1932 2,262,432 Rodder et al. Nov. 18, 1941 2,446,438 Strock Aug. 3, 1948 2,919,016 Turner Dec. 29,'1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 734,396 Germany f Apr. 19, 1943 453,818 Great Britain Sept. 18, 1936 

1. A DRAWBENCH ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED UPON A FOUNDATION, SAID DRAWBENCH COMPRISING A CARRIAGE ADAPTED TO BE DRAWN ALONG A FIXED PATH AND HAVING JAWS TO GRIP ARTICLES WHILE BEING DRAWN AND ALSO HAVING WHEELS, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING MEMBERS PROVIDING TRACKS ON WHICH SAID WHEELS ARE ADAPTED TO ROLL, SUPPORTING MEANS EXTENDING UP FROM THE FOUNDATION TO EACH OF SAID LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING MEMBERS AND DIRECTLY SUPPORTING EACH OF THEM FROM BELOW ALONG THEIR LENGTH SO THAT NO PORTION OF SAID SUPPORTING MEANS OVERLIES SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS, IMMOVABLE INCLINED MEANS FIXEDLY ASSOCIATED WITH AND ABOVE SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND PRESENTING A SURFACE LOCATED TO LATERALLY DEFLECT DRAWN ARTICLE AS THEY ARE RELEASED AND DROP ON TERMINATION OF THE DRAW. 